Self-propelled floor cleaning devices are used for automated cleaning of floors. They are configured for example as vacuum cleaners, which are then usually referred to as robotic vacuum cleaners. In addition, self-propelled cleaning devices for wiping a floor are also known, as are combined devices which are able to clean by vacuuming and wiping.
In the case of self-propelled cleaning devices for wiping a floor, wiping fluid is usually applied to the floor via spray nozzles, by means of a pump system. A system of this kind is complex and is only appropriate when a larger amount of fluid needs to be applied.
If fluid is applied not primarily for the purpose of cleaning, but rather for care purposes, it is usually sufficient to apply a smaller amount of fluid. Floor care fluids of this kind contain oil or wax for example and are used to care for hard floors such as parquet or wooden flooring.
In order to apply the abovementioned care fluids in small amounts, it is known for example to attach a cloth, soaked in the care fluid, to the underneath of a robotic vacuum cleaner and to thus convert the robotic vacuum cleaner into a self-propelled floor care device. The cloth soaked in the care fluid slides over the floor, either during the vacuuming process itself or in a special travel cycle without the vacuuming function, and dispenses the care fluid in the process. Extending a robotic vacuum cleaner with a care function in this way is uncomplicated, but the output of the care fluid cannot be metered and is also not uniform over the surface. In particular, standstill times of the robotic vacuum cleaner can lead to an undesired point-wise output of care fluid.